Fire-escape



(No Model.)

W.'F. CLERK.

` I FIRE ESCAPE. N0l 276,669. "Pafpented May 1,1883.`

Fiyi.

ZZ *agili/L,

ro 1 myimlprdyed kind. Fig.r2 is a side View, and

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. CLERK, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION formngplart of Letters Patent No. 276,669, dated May 1, 1,883.

Application tiled March 5, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FARQUHAE- SON CLERK, of Boston, in the county ot' Suffolk, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the same to be described in the following specification,` and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which-L @Figurel isa side View of a lire-escape of Fig."3` a longitudinal section, of the tubular or ssibjleshield ot' such tire-escape, the said Figs. and 3 being on an enlarged scale.`

My invention relates to that class of nre-escapesfhy which the descent; of a person from "a building or tire iseffected by means of arope depending therefrom, such invention consisting mainly in ,the means bywhich, while descending'the rope, the person is supported and able to regulate the velocity ot' his descent, and his hands are protected from abrasion or injury through contact with the building, the nature of my said invention being den'ned in the claims hereinafter presented.

In the drawings, Adenotes the rope, which at one end may be furnished with a hook, a, or some other suitable means of attaching it to a building or to some object therein. '.lhe rope extendsthrough a tubularslider, B, formed mainly of a short piece of hose of india-rnbber or strong leather, or other suitable and easily-collapsible material. At its upper'end the tube has fixed within ita metallic or other proper bushing, b, while at its other or lower end it has n'Xed in it another such bushing, c, provided with a circular projection or l1andguard, d, and a tubular knob, c, arranged and formed as represented. The hand-guard is for two purposes, vi: to prevent the hands of a person, when grasping the slider, from slipping oi' it or from being drawn into contact with the front or faceot a building and injured or abraded thereby while he may be descending the rope in order to escape from the building. Furthermore, the knob is to enable a rope provided at its lower part with a loop orstirrup to be tied or fastened at its upper part to the slider. lu Fig. l therope having the loop or stirrup to receive the foot or feet of a person is shown at d.

In using the slider it, having the rope Aex-f tending through it lengthwise and depending from a building, is to be seized or grasped by the person by both his hands and iirmly compressed upou the rope. Having swung himself downward he, by compressing the slider on the rope more or less, as may bereqnired, can regulate by the friction produced his rate ot' descent, `the guard keeping his hands in the meantime out of contact with the building. Prior to making the descent or after he may have commenced it, he can place` one or both of his feet in the stirrup, and thus save himself the necessity of hanging by his arms, in which case his hands will be free to compress tothe best advantage the slider on the rope.

I claim iu the tire-escape as described- 1. The tlexile or elastic tubular slider provided with the annular guard, arranged with it, as aud for the purpose as set forth.

2. The exile or elastic tubular slider provided with a circular guard and the tubular knob, arranged and adapted substantially as represented.

3. The compressible slider provided with the guard and the stirrup .or looped rope, and adapted to a rope in manner `and to operate therewith, substantially as and for the purpose as hereinbefore explained. i

4. The compressible slider consisting of the collapsible tube, its tubular bushings and circular guard arranged as set forth. 5. The compressibleslider, consisting of the collapsible tube, its tubular bushings, circular guard, and the knob or stirrup attachment, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM FARQUHARSON CLERK, 

